Chetamja: The King’s Eyes — S2 - Chapter 56

"WHAT'S THE MATTER?"

"I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO KILL THE KING TOO."

DAM...

?

M-MA'AM...?

I ACTUALLY WANTED TO CONTINUE WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT--

YOU MUST'VE BEEN OUT ALL DAY.

DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO EAT?

HOE... AS IN TO RETURN?

THAT'S RIGHT. CHANGRYONG, DO YOU REMEMBER?

HUH? REMEMBER WHAT?

DAM'S OLD NEIGHBOR BROUGHT US RICE CAKES WRAPPED IN A CLOTH...

SHE HAD THE SAME LETTER WRITTEN ON THAT CLOTH.

R-REALLY? I DIDN'T SEE IT...

THAT'S NOT ALL...

THE BUTCHER OF JURCHENS...

HE ALSO HAD THAT LETTER ETCHED ON HIS PALM.

B-BUT THAT MEANS...

YEAH.

ALL OF THEM WERE CONNECTED TO DAM.

HE WAS LYING TO US, JUST AS WE SUSPECTED.

WAIT... YOU'RE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS. THERE'S STILL A CHANCE THAT--

NO.

WE GAVE HIM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT AS HIS COLLEAGUES.

NOW, I'VE RUN OUT OF PATIENCE.

YUJEONG.

LET'S TALK TO GENERAL CHOI.

I'M AFRAID THE MASTER IS NOT IN AT THE MOMENT.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE HE MIGHT BE?

I'M SORRY... HE DIDN'T SAY WHERE HE WAS HEADED.

HE ONLY SAID HE WOULDN'T BE BACK TONIGHT.

WELL...

MY MASTER TOLD ME TO HAND YOU THIS...

...IF YOU COME LOOKING FOR HIM.

HOW BOLD THEY ARE.

WE KNEW OF THE EXISTENCE OF HOEBEON...

...BUT WE DIDN'T THINK THEY'D MAKE DIRECT CONTACT...

I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THAT BLACKSMITH FOR YEARS,

BUT I NEVER IMAGINED HE MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN A GROUP OF REBELS--

YES, I KNOW.

YOUR MAJESTY, PLEASE PUNISH ME FOR NOT NOTICING THEIR INTENTIONS.

BUT I SWEAR! I HAVE NEVER DISCLOSED ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE PISTOL AND THE FIREARMS WE ARE DEVELOPING!

YES, I KNOW THAT TOO. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

THE BOY NAMED SANG IS RIGHT. MOST PEOPLE HAVE HEARD THE RUMORS, BUT RARELY DO THEY KNOW ANYTHING SUBSTANTIAL.

THEN WHY, SIRE?

WHY WOULDN'T YOU ORDER US TO ARREST THEM WHEN YOU'RE FULLY AWARE OF THEIR INTENTIONS?

DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU WONDER?

THAT LOOK THE BOY GAVE ME EARLIER...

WHAT SORROW COULD'VE MADE HIM...

...HARBOR SUCH HATRED AND RESENTMENT IN HIS EYES?

HOW DID MY SHORTCOMINGS INFLICT SUFFERING ON MY PEOPLE?

I MUST HEAR IT FOR MYSELF...

YOU MUST'VE BEEN STARVING. ENJOY YOUR MEAL.

I'LL BE OUTSIDE. MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE.

W-WAIT...!

WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TRICKED ME!

SO WHY DO YOU ACT AS IF I'VE WRONGED YOU?

AND NOW, YOU GIVE ME A MEAL I NEVER ASKED FOR.

DON’T YOU THINK YOU OWE ME AN EXPLANATION?

WHY ARE YOU A PART OF HOEBEON ANYWAY?

WHEN YOU GO TO THE MARKET THESE DAYS...

...EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT THE RECENT VICTORY AGAINST THE JURCHENS.

EVERYONE PRAISES THE MIGHT OF THE JOSEON ARMY AND THE KING’S WISE DECISION.

THE KINGDOM MARCHED NORTH WITH 15,000 SOLDIERS...

AND ONLY SUFFERED FOUR CASUALTIES. IT IS A TREMENDOUS VICTORY IN MANY WAYS.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?

I WOULD HAVE CELEBRATED THE VICTORY AS WELL...

...IF ONE OF THE FOUR WHO DIED IN THAT 15,000-STRONG ARMY...

...HADN'T BEEN MY SON.

...!!

THE KING'S DECISION...

...SENT MY SON TO A PLACE FROM WHICH HE WOULD NEVER RETURN.

AND YOUR GROUP, THE CHETAMJAS, WERE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAT CURSED WAR,

WEREN'T YOU?

TH-THAT'S ABSURD...!

I UNDERSTAND HOW PAINFUL IT MUST BE TO LOSE YOUR SON.

BUT NO WAR IS WITHOUT SACRIFICE,

AND MY JOB WAS TO MINIMIZE OUR LOSSES.

THIS CAMPAIGN WAS A NECESSITY. IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN.

IF YOU HAD SEEN THE HARSH REALITY OF LIFE IN THE BORDER REGIONS--

WHAT ABOUT MY REALITY?!

THE ONLY REALITY I FACE...

...IS THAT I WILL NEVER SEE MY SON AGAIN! NOT WHILE I'M ALIVE!

B-BUT YOU MUST UNDERSTAND...

ARE YOU SAYING THE WAR WAS NECESSARY?

FOR WHAT? THE GREATER GOOD?

THEN WHAT ABOUT MY SON? MUST PEOPLE LIKE ME SUFFER FOR THE GREATER GOOD?

"YOU'D BETTER NOT GIVE ME SOME CRAP ABOUT MAKING SACRIFICES FOR THE GREATER GOOD."

"IF THAT'S THE GREATER GOOD HE SOUGHT..."

"...HE SHOULD'VE THOUGHT ABOUT SACRIFICES LIKE ME COMING WITH A VENGEANCE."

DAM. I KNOW IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.

BUT EVEN SO, I COULDN'T BRING MYSELF TO TREAT YOU AS WARMLY AS I WISH.

ONCE THE MORNING COMES, WE WILL ALL BE DEAD.

BUT I'M NOT AFRAID. BY THAT TIME, HOEBEON WOULD HAVE FULFILLED ITS GOAL.

STILL... I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A WARM MEAL BEFORE I GO.

COME TO THE SOUTH GATE OF THE PALACE AT THE HOUR OF THE HARE* TOMORROW.

*BETWEEN 5 AND 7 AM

THEY PROBABLY WON'T DO IT INSIDE THE PALACE...

...SINCE THE KING DOESN'T WISH TO REVEAL HIMSELF YET.

THE KING MIGHT COME ALL ALONE TO HIDE HIS IDENTITY...

...BUT THE GUARDS WILL DEFINITELY FOLLOW HIM WITHOUT BEING SEEN.

YOUR JOB IS TO STAY CLOSE...

...AND QUIETLY TAKE OUT THE GUARDS ONE BY ONE.

WHAT ABOUT THE GHOST’S SHADOW?

WHEN DO WE KILL GWIYEONG?

WE CAN ALWAYS GET HIM AFTER WE KILL THE KING.

WHO CARES ABOUT THE KING? IT’S GWIYEONG WE HAVE TO KILL!

THAT DEMON-POSSESSED BARBARIAN...!

IL TAE...!

DON’T MAKE ME SAY THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN...

I TOLD YOU IT IS THE KING WHO CREATED MONSTERS LIKE HIM.

THAT'S WHY YOUR FACE ENDED UP LIKE THAT...

...AND YOUR FAMILY ENDED UP DEAD. IN THE END, THE KING IS TO BLAME FOR ALL OF IT.

THIS IS THE DAY I TRAINED YOU FOR.

SO PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER.

EOYEON...

GATHER ALL THE PEOPLE BEFORE DAWN.

YOUR JOB IS VERY IMPORTANT.

YOU HAVE TO GUIDE IL AS WELL.

YES.

YOU MAY KILL THEM ALL.

YES...

I SUPPOSE I'LL END UP DEAD AS WELL.

IT'S OKAY. I ALWAYS KNEW IT WOULD COME TO THIS.

IF IT TAKES MY LIFE TO TAKE THE KING'S...

...I'D SAY THAT'S A VERY CHEAP PRICE TO PAY.

EOYEON... YOU WERE BORN UNABLE TO SPEAK.

BUT I'VE ALWAYS FELT THERE'S SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY ABOUT YOU.

I HAVEN'T KNOWN YOU FOR LONG...

...BUT I TRUST YOU OVER ANYONE ELSE.

AFTER TOMORROW...

...THERE WILL BE A BLOODBATH. MANY MORE WILL END UP DEAD.

I LEAVE THE REST OF OUR PEOPLE...

...IN YOUR HANDS, EOYEON.

IT WILL ALL BE OVER BY TOMORROW.

THE MOONLIGHT IS UNUSUALLY BRIGHT TONIGHT.

I WONDER IF THE KING IS SEEING THIS TOO.

HE’D BE WISE TO TAKE IT ALL IN.

AFTER ALL, THIS WILL BE THE LAST MOON HE’LL EVER SEE.